The harbinger of Korvosa’s continued troubles came in the ominous form of the Direption, a black-sailed. A method to begin the plague. the ship also carried several magical boxes known as death’s head coffers—containers used to preserve highly infectious material for safe transport. these air-tight containers would float and wash ashore all along the river’s banks, where the poorest of the poor generally dwell, and that the infected coins would circulate swiftly. Other coins were scheduled.

What you learned from witnesses. A sinister-looking ship refused inspection as it sailed into the river. When it neared North Bridge and still failed to make its intentions known, the watch fired upon and destroyed it. None of the guardsmen who signaled or shouted out to the ship received a response. Some say that no one was on board at all.

Brienna Soldado, Keith cured her of the disease which had constitution and charisma damage. She told you that she some silver coins of the shore and spent them all. Although the Soldado can hardly afford to compensate the PCs, Tayce is eager to prepare them a feast—a considerable reward, considering her cooking skill. The PCs are now always welcome in the Soldado house, which swiftly takes on a celebratory air.

You decided to search for the location and learned of the Direption lies beneath nearly 80 feet of water, its masts shattered and hull split in two. When the PCs finally do discover the Direption, obvious scars from fire and trebuchet strikes mar the ship’s broken hull, which lies on its side in two pieces amid the splinters of its masts. The ship has broken over a rock outcropping, its bow fallen to one side and a larger section of the stern on the other. Two relatively intact interior decks lie within both halves of the ship, along with the captain’s quarters situated at the stern. While the bow sunk in a way that allows explorers easy access to any of its levels, the stern cleaved to the rocks it fell upon, limiting entrance to its lower decks. Upon the stern section’s upper deck, the 10-foot-square main hatch and a covered ladder lead to the berth below. Both swelled shut, the heavy main hatch requiring a DC 26Strength check to move and the trap door covering the ladder requiring a DC 23 Strength check to open. The trebuchet stone that struck the ship its killing blow also punched a sizable hole into the Direption. This 10-foot-diameter hole allows easy access to area D2 in the ship’s hold.

Creatures: A half-dozen silt eels (spiny-faced dark brown eels native to the region), you also encounter several shark, and the druid sea hag, named Yvicca.

You where then contacted by the Zellara’s spirit haunts her Harrow deck. After the PCs leave the Soldado home, Zellara can sense that something dire is coming for Korvosa. She uses her empathic link to instill an urge to perform a Harrow. these drawn from their character histories or from events in “Edge of Anarchy,” such as the battle with the carrion golem or otyugh). When you get to cards representing the present, focus on those that relate to the recent visit to the Soldado, the mysterious ship sunk in the harbor, and the general sense of unease in the city. For the cards representing the future, get grim—interpret the cards as dire warnings, mass graves, undead, rot and decay, birds feasting upon the dead.

Damsel in Distress: “You were all at the Queen’s debacle, so I don’t doubt you recognize this charming young woman. I had only just reached my home the night of Her Majesty’s morbid gala when that rogue Blackjack and this startled woman arrived at my doorstep. The people’s hero and I have had some dealings in the past, but still, it’s been some years since I’ve seen the scoundrel. He was quick with his words, and soon swooped off—doubtlessly to right some other festering wrong—but not before entrusting Miss Sabor into my protection and care. Although I don’t know Blackjack’s motives or politics, I trust his judgment and have seen much right done by his blade. He says the girl is innocent of the crime she’s been accused of, and I’m more disposed to trust a hero of the city than the tantrums of some bloody-minded harlot playing at queen. “The matter is simple: Korvosa is no longer safe for Miss Sabor. I’ve arranged for friends in Harse—a couple of well respected ranchers—to take in our beautiful renegade until this whole ‘assassination’ foolishness blows over. It's the first leg of the journey where we find our problem, though. Both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company have been searching for the young lady tirelessly—they’ve stopped by here three times so far, and each time I’ve only just barely been able to turn them away without inviting a search. My most reliable contacts have gone to ground in light of the recent uprisings, and Her Highness’s considerable bounty for Trinia’s capture makes the use of new agents inadvisable. Thus, after some time to let her trail cool, I turned to you resourceful lot. Care to escort a lady home?”

You successfully escorted Trinia home, via the river and the luck boat man who was rich now.

You also noticed. Even this early, blood veil is silently spreading through Korvosa. As the PCs move through Old Korvosa or North Point, an aggressive beggar stumbles up to them, hacking and wheezing, a splotchy red rash and blisters the size of ripe grapes covering his face and arms as he pleads for coins to buy food and medicine. PCs who keep alert for other signs of the disease as they travel through Old Korvosa and North Point can make DC 15 Spot checks to notice at least five other individuals—beggars, common folk, and even a merchant—who display familiar fiery rashes. These portents should serve to pique the PCs’ concerns about the spreading disease, but shouldn’t distract them from the task at hand.

The Bank of Abadar. If the party intends to meet with Ishani, it must navigate the desperate crowd. This proves troublesome, forcing each PC to make a DC 14 Strength check to strong-arm through the assemblage. If any PC is obviously a cleric, the crowd turns its attentions to the party, begging for healing and divine aid—regardless of the PCs’ actual ability to heal. The mob is allowed to make Spot checks (with no modifiers) to notice a character’s religious garb or holy symbols, which the PCs can wholly avoid by removing the symbols of their faith or by making opposed Disguise checks.

Although Brienna Soldado was the first to be stricken with blood veil, her case did not remain unique in Korvosa. As a result of her haphazard spending and the Abadarians’ release of tainted silver, dozens of cases of the disease have appeared throughout the city—mostly among the residents of North Point. The clergy of Abadar has been inundated with pock-scarred patients, healing those with the gold to pay and recommending local herbalists for those without. The priests might have been able to help more, but they had their own troubles, since several of their acolytes, guards, and vault keepers developed symptoms of the same mysterious disease. What little magic was left among the clergy was quickly sold to a few wealthy and lucky worshipers, but in all, fewer than two dozen citizens were healed.

You escort Ishani to the Citadel , and introduce him to Field Marshal. Behind her upon the scaffold stand three grizzled veteran guardsmen at attention, as well as an ominous-looking group. These men wear cowed robes of oily-looking leather, supple gloves, and wide black hats. Some grip heavy canes, others dark satchels. Each of them, though, wears a dark-goggled mask tapering to a pointed beak. Among them stand two others. The first is a middle agedgentleman in a simple black overcoat with streaks of white gracing the sides of his short dark hair. He watches the gathered guards with a soft, concerned expression, his hands tightly clasping a heavy-looking doctor’s case. The second figure is an imposing one indeed—a woman dressed in full-plate armor, a longsword and shield at her side, and her blank-faced full helm sporting a bright red plume. The Field Marshal’s fierce tone cuts through the rumble of whispers. “You will escort Doctor Davaulus and his men in their royal duties wherever those might take them. Furthermore, you are to consider orders from any of the queen’s new order of Gray Maidens.

A . The Hungry Dead

Field Marshal Cressida Kroft hears a disturbing rumor that some of the lazier northern plague carters aren’t delivering their bodies to the Gray District as ordered, but are instead disposing of them in one of several secluded alleys. She sends the PCs to investigateone of these sites—Racker’s Alley. In the days since the start of the Racker’s Alley, with its strange shape and shadowy corners, has long been a site of illicit exchanges, quiet murders, and criminal business near the eastern edge of North Point. Already shunned by the locals and constantly hidden from sunlight by looming buildings and the nearby wall, the alley made a perfect dumping spot. Although few living people notice the bodies accumulating in the alley, the same cannot be said of the unliving—a group of four vampire spawn has taken up residence in the alley. For more than 20 years, the artless ex-con Rodolfo Giotorri created his horrible toys. Now, he lies dead and desiccated under the uncaring eyes of his deformed creations.You successfully destroyed the vampire spawn and saved 200 citizens.

B. The Color of Death

A woman named Vendra Loaggri claims to have discovered a cure for blood veil. The PCs are asked by Ishani to visit her perfumery to determine if her claim is legitimate, offering them 1,000 gold in payment for a full report. Lavender, one of the better-known and noted perfume boutiques in Korvosa, stands amid a row of tightly packed shops just off of Summoning Street. Owned by an opportunistic Chelaxian woman named Vendra Loaggri, the perfumery has always had a reputation for avant-garde creations and brazen promotions—infamous memories of the “Free Imp with Every Purchase” stunt still linger among residents of the Heights. With fear of blood veil running rampant throughout Korvosa, Vendra conceivedof her most ingenious publicity stunt ever: a cure. You have successfully proven that And it’s all a complete sham. In any case, once Lavender is closed, gossip about the shop’s fake cure-all spreads quickly and Vendra Loaggri’s reputation is permanently ruined.

Body Count: Putting an end to the creation and sale of Vendra Loaggri’s false cure saves the lives of 700Korvosan citizens.

C. Plague Rats

A were rat named Eries Yelloweyes, worried that Korvosa might soon blame her kind for the plague, seeks out the PCs for help. One of Korvosa’s closet lycanthropes seeks out the party once these events begin. A mousy, second-hand fishmonger with jaundiced eyes, Eries Yelloweyes has lived in secret as a were rat for more than 50 years and is one of the oldest lycanthropes in the city. She’s seen much suffering in her time, including devastating government-directed rat-purges, a return of which she fears Girrigz’s warmongering ways could quickly incite. Her efforts to talk sense to the violent were rat and hisgang having failed, Eries hears of the PCs through her contacts in the Korvosan Guard and approachesthem in her human form for help. Quietly proud of her lycanthropic blood, she explains that something must be done about Girrigz before more lives are lost. She asks the PCs to speak with him and, if necessary, offer him an example of the force the city will doubtlessly employ should his rebelliousness continue. Begging the PCs not to kill her people if it can be avoided, she gives them directions to Girrigz’s lair beneath Midland. In exchange for their help, she offers the PCs the spoils of his camp and, once they’ve disbanded his ragtag army, information on what might be the true reason for Korvosa’s plague. Body count: Preventing Girrigz’s war against Korvosa saves the lives of 400 citizens.You successfully make sure that the were rats can't attack the city. She also gave you a broke religious medallion to the god of UrgathoaEries’s revelation about the strange circumstances involving the sunken ship should be enough to send the PCs out to investigate the wreck—otherwise, they might not think of investigating the wreck until after they find more clues in the temple of Urgathoa in the last part of this adventure. The Direption lies beneath nearly 80 feet of water, its masts shattered and hull split in two. Yvicca CR 7 Female sea hag druid 5 (MM 144) you killed.

E. The Case of the Vanishing Virtuoso

Hook: A distraught woman named Deyanira Mirukova, hearing of the PCs’ acts of heroism via the Korvosan Guard, pleads with the party to seek out her missing brother. The Carowyns have always relished the limelight. Regardless of the circumstance—contributing thousands of gold to the upcoming season at the Kendall Amphitheater, reserving box seats at the Marbledome, or hosting galas at their South Shore estate—no scene is too garish for the aging nobles to steal. Thus, when the gossip of the hourturned from this scandalous actor or that noble’s mistress to death in the street and hastily planned flights from the city, Olauren Carowyn saw opportunity. Discussing the matter with her husband Ausio, the two planed a party. For days, Deyanira Mirukova has pleaded at the gates of Citadel Volshyenek, begging for help in finding her brother, Ruan. The young Varisians live together in a modest apartment off Overton Way, not far from the Marbledome where she works as a chorus girl and Ruan plays ocarina in the orchestra. Several days ago, Ruan came home excitedly, delighted that he had been personally requested to perform at a private masquerade at Carowyn Manor, home of the well-known patrons of the arts. He bought a new outfit, practiced a challenging new arrangement, and left early the evening of the event. That was several days ago and the last time his sister saw him.

When Ruan didn’t return the entire next day, Deyanira went to the Carowyn estate, only to find it unquiet. Ausio Carowyn (LN male human aristocrat 3) has never been a brave man, and when Jolistina made her dramatic entrance to the masquerade—assaulting his guests with crossbow bolts infected with the pallid pox from a death’s head coffer—he quickly exited the party, making for his semi-hidden sanctuary here in the cellar. He’s remained hidden here for some time now. listening to the shuffling of undead feet and the high-pitched laughter of a madwoman above while subsisting on a steadily diminishing cask of water stored within this room and what rats he can catch for dinner. In his late 50s, Ausio dares not try to face the invaders above.

He brandishes a dull paint knife at the PCs when they enter, trying his best not to shake too obviously. His initial attitude is unfriendly—if he can be made at least friendly he relates what he knows—little more than, “We were greeting the Westerkiers when a stranger burst in, quite uninvited, dressed as something of a harlot-harlequin. She opened fire on my guests with her crossbow, laughing all the while in the most frightful, shrill way. They sickened and collapsed with shocking rapidity—whatever venom she coated those bolts with can only be blood veil!” Ausio inquires after his wife and loses his composure for only a few moments should the PCs inform him of her demise—he expects the worst, buteven that pales against learning of her true fate. Detailing her undead transformation horrifies the aging man, and showing him her mangled—or, worse, still undead— body breaks Ausio’s already traumatized mind.

If the PCs ask after Ruan, Ausio recalls the youth and last saw him in the gallery on the second floor. Rolth, however, had little interest blood veil spread through the city, He gave the list on his obsessive sometimes-lover, a sick-minded forsaken elf named Jolistina Susperio. The pesh-addicted, self-destructive elf—terribly immature for her near-180-year age— had fawned over the necromancer ever since he half threatened, half-promised to turn her into a zombie one day. Knowing that his paramour would die before failing him, Rolth packed off the elf with a few tender promises, several deadly smoke bombs tainted with Vorel’s phage— the viral root of blood veil, the queen’s list, and a mind set on murder. Should the PCs manage to get her talking, she tells them why she’s there—Rolth sent her to kill several “rich bastards” who were scheduled to attend the party here— the others (including the manor’s servants) were just bonuses. She doesn’t know why he wanted them dead, but she suspects it is something his new employer wanted, as Rolth wouldn’t have known any of these sorts. Jolistina doesn’t know who Rolth’s employer is, but she doesn’t like him, as he (or she—an infuriating possibility) has kept the necromancer holed up in some hidden laboratory somewhere in the city. She has no idea where it is, but she’s barely heard from Rolth for weeks except for a brief visit the morning after she crashed the party. If asked about Ruan (or asked about Rolth’s visit the day after she killed everyone here), Jolistina doesn’t recognize his name, but does know him by his description. She giggles as she admits that Rolth asked to capture any young, healthy-looking Varisians she might run into, and to keep them under wraps but alive for Rolth to collect. Ruan was the only Varisian at the masquerade, and Jolistina dutifully restrained him until Rolth showed up to assess her work. The necromancer seemed very pleased and had the two heavily armored women with him carry the youth off to who-knows where. Although the elf doesn’t know it, these armored women are members of Queen Ileosa’s new elite guard, the Gray Maidens—if asked to describe them, the PCs should recognize the description of red-plumed heavilyarmed women.

Rolth was so pleased with Jolistina for completing her task and sparing the Varisian that he rewarded her with scrolls of animate dead, scrolls she immediately used to transform the abattoir into her own gruesome playhouse. You placed Jolistina Susperio with the Ishani Dhatri priest of Abdar.Body count: Destroying the zombies in Carowyn Manor and preventing Jolistina Susperio from releasing her zombies into the streets when she grows bored saves the lives of 500 citizens. Saved: Ausio Carowyn

Campaign recapThe Hospice of the Blessed MaidenEnemies:Ramoska Arkminos CR Male nosferatu human would was commanded by his Leader in his town in a different country, a true expert in alchemy and diseases. Ruan Mirukova is immune to the blood veil and was being used by Ramoska as a lab rat. Priests of Urgathoa - killedLady Andaisin CR KilledFemale human cleric of UrgathoaRolth escaped MUHHHHHHHH We will see one another again. He returned to claim the last remaining Leukodaemon, with his notes and access to the blood veil and other diseases then he is in an excellent position to bring in a new plague to town.

Campaign recapConcluding the Adventure With Davaulus and Lady Andaisin defeated, the creation and spread of blood veil suffers a mortal blow. With no one actively propagating the disease, the plague’s unnaturallyswift and seemingly random spread ends. The disease remains at large, though, and deaths continue until the Korvosan Guard and city priests get matters under control. Fortunately, in the course of investigating the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden and the Temple of Urgathoa below, the PCs should have stumbled across Lady Andaisin’s greatest fear—the seeds of a cure. The cure for blood veil lies within the research of three ingenious but undoubtedly demented minds: Dr. Davaulus, Ramoska Arkminos, and the necromancer Rolth. Each have come upon the discovery that certain individuals of Varisian blood exhibit an immunity to blood veil. Unknown to them, these Varisians share a common bloodline. Theyare descendants, however far removed, of a woman named Kasanda Miromia-Foxglove, wife of the failed lich Vorel, whose death lead to the creation of the disease Vorel’s phage and ultimately to blood veil. Kasanda watches over her descendants from death and fortified their bloodline against the depredations of her insane husband. From any of these villains’ research, a skilled alchemist or healermight be able to develop a cure.

Campaign recapConcluding the Adventure

Saving the City If the PCs find themselves in possession of notes from these researchers, they can correlate their findings to create a cure for blood veil. With only one researcher’s set of notes, the cure can be found with a DC 30 Craft (alchemy) check and a month of work. With two sets of notes, it’s a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check and only a week of work. With all three sets, it’s only a DC 20 Craft (alchemy)check and 1d3 days of work.

Body Count: Finding a cure for blood veil saves 1,000citizens. In addition, if the PCs help to develop a cure,grant them an experience point award as if they haddefeated a CR 9 creature.

Once the adventure ends, total the amount of citizenssaved by the PCs and consult the table below to see howthe city rewards them for their good work. These awardsare cumulative—if the PCs save 3,600 citizens, theyreceive all four of the rewards listed below.

Citizens Saved Reward700 or fewer citizens Family Friends: In gratitude for their efforts during the plague, Tayce Soldado organizes the thanksof Korvosa’s settled Varisians. The PCs are treated to a large feast at Tayce’s home with the entirecommunity, many of whom bring the party modest gifts coming to total of 250 gold per character.701—1,900 citizens

Good Samaritans: Dozens of families recognize the PCs for saving the lives of family members orneighbors. The PCs each gain a favor from a skilled craftsman, local artist, or other member of an NPCclass. This favor might be the gift of an item worth no more than 1,000 gold, a place to hide out for anight, help researching a topic, or any of a variety of useful services (ultimately adjudicated by the GM).1,901—2,800 citizens

Local Heroes: Field Marshal Cressida Kroft personally thanks the PCs for their extensive aidduring the plague. Deputizing them as official members of the Korvosan Guard, she opens CitadelVolshyenek’s armory to them. Each PC can select equipment worth up to 2,500 gold (including magicweapons and armor) from the stores.2,801—3,600 citizens

Saviors of the City: Nearly everyone in the city knows or has heard of the PCs. The PCs gain a +2 bonus onall Bluff and Diplomacy checks made against Korvosan citizens. granting each of them a 5,000 gold. writ in reward for their services. This writ is good for any purchase made within Korvosa’s walls. If the PCs have been open and aggressive about their theories of the queen’s involvement in the plague, she instead has Marcus Thalassinus, commander of the Sable Company, issue the award, claiming exhaustion in thewake of the recent events as her excuse for not attending the ceremony.

Concluding the Adventure

A Conspiracy Revealed Although discovering a cure for the plague and saving Korvosa are important accomplishments, another even more important accomplishment occurs if the PCs survive this adventure. The fact that agents of the queen—in Doctor Davaulus and his Queen’s Physicians— are revealed to be in league with the foul creators of blood veil, and worse, seem to have been involved in propagatingits spread rather than seeking its cure, is dangerous knowledge. Although Queen Ileosa cannot be directly confronted by the PCs at this time with accusations of engineering a plague to shape the city into something more to her liking, word of the crown’s involvement in the outbreak spreads as soon as it’s made apparent that the Queen’s Physicians and Davaulus were corrupt. The queen’s officialstance is that the charming doctor duped her, and that his actions and the actions of his maskedminions do not accurately reflect Queen Ileosa’s desires. Gray Maidens involved in the hospice claimto have had no knowledge of the true goings-on in the chambers below, and Davaulus is publicly executed (or branded a traitor to the city if he is unavailable for such). Without hard evidence that she was involved, the majority of Korvosa’s citizens find it difficult to believe that their queen, however vain andunpleasant, could be the source of such an evil. Most of Korvosa’s citizens are simply thankful thatthe scourge of blood veil has passed, and are eager to get back to their lives. The city is too wounded tocontemplate rebellion. Yet unrest grows. As the city continues to recover, the rumors of the queen’s involvement grow. Unfortunately, so do her resources. The Gray Maidens become more and more prominent on the street, and progressively oppressive laws and edicts begin to appear. The PCs retain any alliances with Cressida Kroft, Ishani, Grau Soldado, Vencarlo, and other allies in the city, yet theyshould distinctly feel increasingly unwelcome in Korvosa. The reason for this should be clear soon enough—for Queen Ileosa knows now that the PCs are, without a doubt, her enemies. It won’tbe long before the PCs learn just how dangerous staying in Korvosa could become.

Saving city rewards.

The party starts with Tayce Soldado organize a dinner in their honor and the entire community attends, each person is given 250 gold piece pearl necklaces.

The next day dozens of families recognize the party for saving their lives. Depending on what they what like, the service of any local artist or craftsman or other member will provide a service that caps at 1,000 gold pieces.

Day 3, the party a holds a party at Eodred’s Square thanking the party and deputizing them as Korvosan guards the monthly salary 12 gold pieces Each person is allowed to visit the armory only once to retrieve a armor or weapon money cap at 2,500 gold pieces including magical gear.

Day 4, You are heroes, nearly everyone in the city has heard of you, Marcus Thalassius commander of the Sable Company and tells everyone the Queen is exhausted after the trying times, gives a speech in your honor publicly acknowledging your actions. Each person is gifted a 5,000 gold piece writ. You now get a + 2 bonus buff and diplomacy checks while in Korvosan.